Peartree Hill Solar Farm

Project introduction

Peartree Hill is a solar and battery storage project that will play a key role in supporting the UK’s energy ambitions, by improving energy security, while supporting the transition away from fossil fuels.

Made up of several land areas in East Riding of Yorkshire, Peartree Hill Solar Farm will generate up to 320MW, enough renewable electricity to meet the equivalent energy needs of around 167,000 homes.

Peartree Hill will establish a connection, via underground cables, to the existing Creyke Beck Substation, which will transfer the electricity to the national network.

Peartree Hill is a reversable development and will have a life span of approximately 40 years. Following which it is proposed that the solar development and associated infrastructure would be decommissioned, and the land would be returned to its existing condition.

Facts & figures

00 MW

of clean energy

00 homes

Powered with electricity

Displacing over 00 tonnes

of CO₂ from equivalent fossil fuel energy

Benefits of the solar farm

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Contributing 320MW of clean electricity to the national grid, enough to power the equivalent of approximately 167,000 homes.

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Supporting the UK’s net zero targets by displacing over 11,400,000 tonnes of CO₂ from equivalent fossil fuel energy - that equates to taking c. 166,000 cars off the road for a year.

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Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) on-site, ensuring the solar farm can be as flexible as possible in delivering energy to the grid.

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Over 95% of the solar panel areas can be made available for sheep grazing, retaining an agricultural use and allowing topsoil to recover, by increasing soil organic matter and improving the soil structure.

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Over 50% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) to be delivered on-site, providing new and improved habitats, such as wildflower meadows, grassland areas, bird and bat nesting boxes, and beehives.

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Providing additional opportunities for public recreation, with up to 7km of proposed new permissive paths across the site, outdoor picnic areas and classrooms, new signage, benches and community orchards.

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RWE will provide a community benefit fund of £4.2 million to support local community groups and initiatives.

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Up to 15km of proposed new hedgerows and trees, including a mix of mature and semimature tree planting to further improve visual screening and habitat creation.

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Educational opportunities introduced across the site, including an outdoor classroom area, information boards and educational trails, providing information about local wildlife, historical features and renewable energy generation.

How will the project be determined?

As Peartree Hill will generate more than 50MW of power, it is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and will proceed through the Development Consent Order (DCO) planning process.

Applications for DCOs are examined independently by the Planning Inspectorate (PINS). Following an Examination of the project, the Planning Inspectorate will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, who will decide on the outcome of the application.

Consultation is an important part of the DCO process as it enables everyone to comment on the proposals. The feedback received, along with further technical work and environmental studies, will inform the development of our proposals ahead of the submission of our DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate.

For more information on the planning process, visit the Planning Inspectorate’s website here.

Statutory consultation

Following a preliminary consultation in October and November 2023, our statutory consultation is now live. Our statutory consultation will run from Wednesday 15 May 2024, lasting for six weeks, until 11:59pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024. The consultation introduces our revised proposals, which have been informed by comprehensive surveys and valuable feedback received during our initial consultation phase.

The feedback we receive, will play a crucial role in helping us to finalise our proposals ahead of our DCO submission to the Planning Inspectorate.

Visit the consultation website to learn more about the consultation and take part.

Visit the Consultation

Contact us

If you would like to speak with a member of the Peartree Hill project team, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Email: info@peartreehillsolar.co.uk
Phone: 01482 695 004
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In development | Solar Farm